Marines Seize Bradley Manning’s Clothes

In the wake of announcing 22 additional charges against him, Pfc. Bradley Manning’s clothing was seized by the guards at the US Marine base at Quantico, Virginia, leaving him naked in his cell.

The seizure of Manning’s clothing was revealed by his lawyer, David E. Coombs, who said Manning’s clothing was seized at 5:00 AM and he was ordered to stand naked outside of his cell. Reports indicate his clothes weren’t returned for at least 7 hours.

Manning faces charges of leaking classified documents to “the enemy,” though the Pentagon never provided any indication of who “the enemy” actually is. He is assumed to be the source of WikiLeaks documents which embarrassed top US officials and revealed broad war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan.

8th Amendment to US Constitution reads-
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
Ummm yeah, "cruel and unusual"…
Manning is made to stand NAKED outside his cell for 7 hours and that's NOT cruel? Villiard can't "explain publicly" and "it would be inappropriate for me to explain it…"
Oh bullshot!
This is all rather torturously sick and evil.

Lear K

What Constitution again?

skulzfontaine

Hi Lear K:
You make the excellent point. One possibly and/or/maybe might conclude that the US Constitution has gone the way of the red tennis shoe. 'We the people' must now labor under a "PoliceState Manifesto" and whereby, 'we the people' gots no rights. Yes and I would conjecture that Pvt. Manning is one of our 'we the people' conjectural thesis sort of conjectures. Theoretically speaking of course.

fedupandsick

Unfortunately the UCMJ doesn't have to abide by the constitution. You can defend it, but it ain't yours.

At first this I thought this was satire, it seemed so ridiculous. But yes, sick and evil. And torturous – fer sher, fer sher.

Edward Banana

Why the hell aren't any wall street scumbags, who DESTROYED our economy, who are responsible for so many lost jobs, in jail? Why aren't they the ones being stripped and humiliated? Why are THEY exempt but Manning is being confined in isolation for several MONTHS (which in and of itself IS torture, it's a mental health issue). They're simply trying to make an example out of someone to scare everyone. They're trying to send a message, not serve justice.

This is a fucking disgrace.

Swami Barmi

"Why aren't they the ones being stripped and humiliated?"

Did you miss the point that this sort of treatment is wrong and beneath us? This cycle of vicious hatred needs to stop with someone and if that someone isn't the promoter of peace I don't know who it will be.

jeff_davis

Did you miss the point about "scumbags"?

"The cycle of vicious hatred" will stop when the perpetrators are held accountable. Every politician, every executive branch staff member, every single officer in the military, every single Wall Steet crook, every single AIPAC subversive, every MIC profiteer — the whole crowd indicted (for war crimes, felony murder, etc), tried, and IF FOUND GUILTY, proportionately sentenced. That's not vicious hatred — which by the way is an emotion, not a crime — that's justice. Then when the "clean up" is over, and the backlog of criminals in high places is dealt with, and the "rule of law" expanded by that example to the rich and powerful, not just the "regular" people, the country can start over again. Till then it's just business as usual in the fascist monstrosity that the US has become.

Unhappily, dealing with captives in anything other than a sadistic manner is customarily beyond the current military's abilities or inclinations. Which only points to the desirability of a citizen army rather than a "professional" one. Of course they will spout their little catechisms about honor, duty, and country– but then so did the SS.

old vet

Have a look at THE BRIG, by Kenneth H. Brown, from 1964, recently revived in New York City. The brig is an American institution.

liberranter

Manning faces charges of leaking classified documents to “the enemy,” though the Pentagon never provided any indication of who “the enemy” actually is.

Quite obviously the enemy is the American public.

bogi666

Noam Chomsky spells it out, the american public being the enemy and don't even know it. THE USG declared a GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR and didn't exclude anyone, It's a Global war for the sake of the One World System, the Beast of Revelations, globalization.

Advocate4LIberty

Semper fi? Faithful to WHAT? Satan???

I am ashamed that I ever belonged to this putrid organization. I've burned my honorable discharge. Lt. Brian Villiard is a hypocritical piece of shit.

Kostya

I am as outraged as you are. The wrong person is in prison. Remember, though, that the decision to torture Pfc Manning was made by politicians who simple do not believe in our form of government, under civilian law or the UCMJ. Not having served in the military, and only going by the relatively few people I have met over the years, the average Marine Corp veteran is honorable and should not be mixed in with the vile politicians (some of whom wear a uniform) who are controlling Manning's future. Unless our supreme leader acts, he will be guilty of condoning Manning's treatment and will be in violation of simply human decency.

Swami Barmi

"Remember, though, that the decision to torture Pfc Manning was made by politicians"

Is it not the marine's duty to defend the Constitution?

Advocate4LIberty

Yes, it is. And by following unlawful orders, the cockroaches in Marine uniforms have put themselves on the same level as the guards in the Nazi death camps whose "I was only following orders" defenses at Nuremberg were answered with the gallows.

They haven't killed the heroic Manning yet, but I wouldn't be shocked if that happens.

Why else would they put the man on "suicide watch" if they're not trying to kill him? Perchance he was going to hang himself with his underwear? Stranger things have happened in police/military custody but they're trying to paint themselves as saviors should he succeed. Gotta leave a CYA written all over the place.

Kostya

Yes, although enlisted men take an oath to obey orders, too. (Am uncertain about this. Correct me if I am wrong.) But so do Presidents and members of Congress.

One army vet, a private, once told me that although the words about not obeying an illegal order sound fine, in reality, enlisted men and women would be absolutely insane to disobey a command, legal or otherwise. What is happening to Pfc Manning has more to do with warning others of his rank and class about the real laws of our country and military. If Manning was an officer, I doubt if his treatment would be so harsh.

The true fault lies with our commander-in-chief, whose silence on the matter speaks volumes, and the officers in the military who have the authority to make policy. I do not equate their behavior with the vast majority of men and women in the service of the military. If our enlisted men and women are trained and ordered to engage in torture and other illegal behavior, we need to put their commanders on trial. Remember, the people who made Abu Ghraib possible are still walking around free, unpunished and celebrated as great patriots.

Yes, but by following orders, evil as they are, they are in effect agreeing with what is happening to the man. They are the hammer being used by their superiors. So whats a man or woman to do? Simple. Refuse! And as insane as it may sound only an insane man wouldn't.

justme

Semper Fi

Lt. Brian Villard has failed every seviceman or woman who has served.

John_Muhammad

I'm intrigued as to what threat Manning's clothes pose to national security. With the scrutiny he's been under for so long, any threat his clothes pose should have been exposed long ago. I wonder if we shouldn't apply the same standards to the clothes we wear each and every day as we go about our lives- when will the black trucks roll into our neighborhoods to confiscate our clothes as being threats to national security? Surely the DCC (Department of Clothing Control) has the situation in hand and will be rounding up our garments any day- and woe to the person who hides a pair of shoes or socks- those are the WORST of the lot, you know.

This treatment of Manning is so insane it would be funny if it weren't really happening. It's the stuff surrealistic comedy movies are made of- but you just can't make this stuff up. As it stands, it's immoral, inhumane, and a national embarrassment and scandal.

I spent 12 years of my youth in uniform in both the Marines and Army defending my nation- for this? I now feel my service was completely wasted- how can I have honorably served a nation that is proving itself to be dishonorable?

Black trucks maybe not but the evil lunatics have developed back scatter mobile scanning vans that can peer through vehicles and even your own home. So you needn't go to the TSA porno scanner to get your nuts fried they'll do you the favor of killing you from the curb.

Most Americans are very much bleased with and support torture and ,akiddnapping,and murder done in their name by their own government.Killing ,torture,abuse and murder by the US is good and right.

marko

Gee, just when they're getting a hardon about getting their pervy hands on Assange. What a surprise.

Lear K

It looks like Cheney is still pulling the strings.Change any one can believe in indeed.Who is next?

Curt

We are where we are … because your republic was not and is not worthy of your sacrifice.

Well … here we are. Imagine where we will be.

Until you get your boots on the ground and your hands bloodied to restore some semblance of a constitutional republic … STFU. Your constant whining is extremely annoying and girl like. It will get you nowhere … which should be pretty evident by now.

The Marine Corps used to be a service of pride and worthy of respect. Now it's just a circus of shills for a greater israel. Shame is now the Marine's way.

andy

If this is what they do to such a high profile guy, what happens to the anonymous schmuck they grab in Iraq, Afghanistan, etc?

Lear K

They kill them or have them killed and then claim they killed themselves.

bogi666

anal rape, endemic in US prisons.

richard vajs

I think that military brigs or prisons have always been sadistic places. When I was in the Navy in the 1960s, we had a brig on board the aircraft carrier that I was on. Enlisted men got send to the brig for a week or two for petty theft, purposefully missing ship's movement, etc. The brig was a compartment about three decks down. When the hatch was open, you could look down and see the prisoners standing at attention on the open floor. They had hard hats on so that the Marine guards could smack them on their heads with a nightstick and not split their heads open. There was always a lot of yelling. The prisoners had to stand at attention until they fell over or soiled themselves. I never watched long – it was as charming as watching a dog get kicked .

While I served in the AF, and my dad in both the Navy during WW2 and the AF afterward, I can't recall seeing any brig or paying attention for one. I have been told by someone who did see a Navy/Marine brig and they had guys crawl around on all fours like dogs with metal buckets over their heads which the guards would hit with their clubs to get their point across. Why folks wax poetic about how noble it all was is beyond me. Sort of a Stockholm syndrome where the abused sides with the abuser.

Lear K

First Lt. Brian Villiard, a Marine spokesman, said a brig duty supervisor had ordered Private Manning’s clothing taken from him. He said that the step was “not punitive” and that it was in accordance with brig rules, but he said that he was not allowed to say more. “It would be inappropriate for me to explain it,” Lieutenant Villiard said. “I can confirm that it did happen,( but I {can’t explain it to you without violating the detainee’s privacy.”)http://www.chris-floyd.com/component/content/arti…

Lear K

Thus, according to this spokesman, Manning is subjected to repeated humiliation and degradation — for his own good. Moreover, the reason for the repeated humiliation and degradation cannot be provided because of the military's boundless concern for Manning's "privacy" — that is, the military also refuses to explain the reason for its cruelty for Manning's own good.http://powerofnarrative.blogspot.com/search?q=law

felipeb

!Unlike most here I have no sympathy for Manning. A military organization requires discipline and loyalty. If he did even part of what he is accused of he deserves the full weight of the law in retribution. But this action is outside the law. It is cruel, stupid and unproductive. Its perpetrators should be broken in rank, punished and discharged dishonorably.

liberranter

"Discipline and loyalty" – two terms parroted by more criminals in uniform than any other throughout human history in support of criminal objectives.

liberranter

The granddaddy of all exercises in futile political masturbation.

Earl Sharp

Manning is accused of leaking classified documents to “the enemy, though the Pentagon never provided any indication of who “the enemy” actually is. "
Common sense tells us that the Pentagon considers the American Public "the enemy" since Manning released the documents to the public. Common sense also tells us that authority is intrinsic and lies within individuals. We the people are therefore authorized to know what our government is doing. Without authorization from the the people, the Pentagon has no authority to imprison Manning and force him to stand naked outside his cell. But in so doing, the Pentagon has demonstrated what it does possess… naked perverted power.

James S

Have you seen the photo of Manning that was snuck out of Quantico today? Pretty shocking…

Why is it that convicted Zionist traitor Pollard is accorded better treatment than Manning, who's not convicted.

Lear K

They want to break him down and make him confess to whatever they tell him,therefore convict him ,and the torture would be covered up.

Nike

Americans are OPENLY torturing their own soldiers – and the American people are apparently fine with it? Insane.

Advocate4LIberty

Obviously not all American people are "fine with it". But enough are that the evil ones can get away with it. The one's that are "fine with it" may not be especially evil themselves, but in my experience the majority of the American public is just plain stupid – and willing to buy any argument from anyone claiming "authority".

We've reached a point where as a society we think anything we do under the guise of 'National Security' is acceptable. We've been propagandized by the war party since whenever the last time there actually was a major cut in the war party's power (maybe after Vietnam). I would hazard that most Americans weren't alive when that happened, so they've never actually seen the war party not being ascendent.

What a great post. Some people really make difference. I totally agree with the point of the writer. We should all promote this blog.

Gaince

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